Saint Peter is old news (Saint Gratus reviews)

[Niveous]

May the reviews begin.

[Niveous]

A note about my entry this week:

This is my first entry under the guise of Tokyoquake. Essentially Tokyoquake is an experiment. I'm experiment with different musical software while at the same time trying to learn the art of production. For instance, this is my first SF entry where I used compression. It's an experiment and hopefully they'll get better as time goes on. And if anyone would like to help by offering samples or their talent, it would be appreciated.

[Adam!]

Niv (or anybody else), feel free to drop me a PM and I'll gladly talk production with you, FWiW.

A note about my entry this week:

I was way behind schedule on Sunday night but the lyrics were much too good to let slip so I tried to pull off a one-take Guy'n'Guitar track. I ended up having to do a second take of the vocals, so I haven't earned my Live Submission badge of honor yet.

[Niveous]

I just might take you up on that. Meanwhile, as my new Tokyoquake project is an experiment, I have already begun work on a new mix of the song.

You can hear it here:
http://niveous.multiply.com/music/item/53

[chuckstas]

Ok, just got through listening to the songs for the first time, and it there's a lot of variety here. Some sweet songs, some...not so sweet. This one was fun for us. We tried some different things, but I sort of ran out of time to mix , so it could have been better. I feel pretty hapy with the performance and song itself, though, which is the most important thing in my book. Reviews coming soon to a message board near you!

[Moose]

Beatnik Turtle: I like this right from the beginning. The drums and bass in particular have a really full sound. This is a handy little track to keep around… it’s like a public service announcement.
Chuck Chuck Moose: This is us. I think it’s one of our better tunes. We have a tendency to over-think a lot of our entries, so this is a nice change of pace.
Circuscumsize: This is pretty trippy in the beginning. I turned it up to hear what was going on in the background… I wish I wouldn’t have done that.
GIO: Wow. This is awesome. I’ve never heard anything like this before. It’s like two styles crammed into one. I’m really curious to find out how this was made. Those strings sound real, so if they are… nice playing, and if they aren’t, well then you tricked me. And the choir-ish thing is cool too. Is that just a midi thing? That’s what I thought originally, but then it sounded like they were saying something. I really like this. I’m impressed.
Jute Gyte: My favorite part of this is your tag…. Genre: Blues. Haha. Actually, this is pretty well done. I like double bass, but this sounds a little spastic at points. The guitar break in the middle is pretty sweet though.
Klownhole: The drums are really really boomy. I guess it sounds like your performing inside an arena or something though, so that’s a cool effect. I would like this a lot more if the drums got out of the way and the vocals came out. From what I can decipher, you have some pretty cool lyrics, but it’s just tough to hear them.
MENBAH!: That intro’s deceptive. Actually, I guess you switch styles a couple times. I’m not sure I like that. Your voice sounds a little strained at points. I really like the melody though. That’s catchy.
New Bearings in Phuntology: Actually, one of my favorite Phunts. I like this. Okay, well I don’t not like it.
Paco del Stinko: This is really well done. There’s some nice guitar playing in here, and the high vocals are pretty sick. The only part I don’t like is the intro. I don’t think it’s necessary that you to go on for that long. Just get to the cool part faster. Plus, that bass sound halfway through the intro is kind of annoying.
Popular Electronics: I think this song might have been more effective if it was played entirely on acoustic. If you bring in the electric, then you’re almost obligated to add drums and everything too. You’ve got a cool voice and I like your idea, but that electric guitar bothers me for some reason.
Root Canal: I like this too. That little guitar lick that moves from the left speaker to the right during the verses is pretty cool. This is just the right length too. I like your take on the title lyrically. You used it really well.
Semolina Pilchards: This is a catchy song. The vocals could come out of the mix a little more. I’m getting a lot of guitar. Not that I don’t like the guitar playing though, because it’s really good. Nice solo.
Tokyoquake: I turned this up to hear you a little better and that crash thing scared the living crap out of me. Other than those, this is a pretty chill track. Are you playing a bass? Wow.. at the end it’s pretty much impossible to hear you over those crashes. I don’t know, it’s effective once or twice, but I don’t think it’s necessary that many times. But maybe I’m missing the point.

This is a great fight. I liked almost all of these entries. I think my vote will go to GIO, but Semolina Pilchards and Root Canal are a close 2nd and 3rd.

[Niveous]

Tokyoquake: I turned this up to hear you a little better and that crash thing scared the living crap out of me. Other than those, this is a pretty chill track. Are you playing a bass? Wow.. at the end it’s pretty much impossible to hear you over those crashes. I don’t know, it’s effective once or twice, but I don’t think it’s necessary that many times. But maybe I’m missing the point.

Sorry about scaring the hell out of ya. I've gotta tired of the crashes as well. It's one of those things were you record it one day and dig it and then hear it the next and hate it. I only wish I wouldn't have sent it in before the second day. But I did remix the track and took out the crashes, added some warped violins, brought up the volume on the verses and redid the chorus, changing up the style a bit. You can check out the new and hopefully better version here.

[chuckstas]

Beatnik Turtle: The playing on this song is really tight, and all the instruments sound great. The lyrics and vocals near some work though. It’s not that the vocals are out of tune, the melody is just really boring. Sweet guitar solo, nice arena rock delay going on there.

Chuck Chuck Moose: This is us. We recorded the vocals and the guitar at the same time and just kept the best take. Then we added some recorded ambience to make it sound like we’re playing at a coffee shop or something. The mix is a little rough, but I think it kind of fits the attitude of the song.

Circuscumsize: Sounds like you guys were smoking the wisdom weed. Kind of cool for a while, but too long for what it is.

Glo: This is really cool. The feedback bass, strings, chorus, and drums work really well to create a tight groove. If you came up with a little more material, like a middle section before a return to the original, this would be great.

Jute Gyte: I’m not a fan of this song, but kudos on the intensity in the singing and playing. The vocals could stand to be a little more up front.

Klownhole: See above. I like the singing. Sounds sort of like Iron Maiden.

Menbah: The beginning of the verse is a bit jarring. I like the change in texture, but it would better if the acoustic was in the mix during the beginning and then the electric dropped out and the acoustic kept playing. The vocals could be better in tune. The chorus is very catchy, but the bottom end seems to drop out during it. I’m also not a fan of that organ sound during the second verse. In summary, this is a very good song, but it could be better song and mixed/produced.

New Bearings in Phuntology: This is a cool groove, but it’s not really a song in my book. Still, very cool, and just the right length for what it is.

Paco del Stinko: I found this very funny for some reason. That bass that comes in at, “Oh woe are weâ€

[Niveous]

Tokyoquake: The guitar sounds pretty mediocre, did you just record the piezo bridge output? The vocals are very hard to understand as well. The melody sounds pretty nice, but the song is way too repetitive.

It's actually a sample. I tried to play around with one repeative beat through the song a la "Tear You Apart" by She Wants Revenge. May not have worked as well. As for the hard to understand vocals- the second mix has clearer vocals in the verses. I kept the choruses a little muddy purposefully though, because in the second mix I wanted to try a sound similiar to Jute Gyte's "Feathers". Either way, I'll put the lyrics in the lyric thread. Thanks for listening to the Tokyoquake experiments.

[glO]

Those strings sound real, so if they are… nice playing, and if they aren’t, well then you tricked me. And the choir-ish thing is cool too. Is that just a midi thing? That’s what I thought originally, but then it sounded like they were saying something.

yeah it's all me save for the beat...and they're saying "deo gracias, gracias anglia, redde pro victoria." it's a tad obscured.

[DELETED]

DELETED

[Niveous]

I found out who he is (see this week's cover art).

[j$]

I found out and referenced it.

What do you think this is, researchfight?

[chuckstas]

did I miss anyone? :?

We did, but our take on the song was only based loosely around what we found out.

[Meatwad]

Kudos to those folks who went to the trouble of finding out exactly who St. Gratus was (is?) before writing their lyrics for this one!

I think that includes only:

MENBAH!, pacodelstinko, Root Canal, and the Semolina Pilchards

did I miss anyone?

If you really knew anything about St. Gratus you would have been able to tell that our lyrics were spot, the fuck, ON.

[jute gyte]

Kudos to those folks who went to the trouble of finding out exactly who St. Gratus was (is?) before writing their lyrics for this one!

I think that includes only:

MENBAH!, pacodelstinko, Root Canal, and the Semolina Pilchards

did I miss anyone?

You missed me.

[furrypedro]

GIO: is it gio or glo? I like the intro to this, is that a sample or did you write the strings yourself? the drums and bass seem a bit weak by comparison, but they're backing the track up fine. The choral singing is nice too, but ultimately this track doesn't do enough for me. For what it is, I think i'd have liked a more laid back beat/groove, and maybe a pad sound sweeping through to add some variety and texture (but that may have ruined the aesthetic, so who knows). not bad though, and I can imagine chilling to an album of this if it was tweaked a bit

Semolina Pilchards: Indietastic, this immediately has this kind of 'end-of-an-episode-of-the-O.C,' feel to it which may sound a bit harsh but then this is accomplished in a not particularly inventive way. so, it's good if you don't mind a xerox of 100 other songs (which I often do). If i was in any doubt about my distaste for this the guitar solo confirmed it. sorry dude, that sucked

Beatnik Turtle: cool chorus. really not bothered about any other aspect of this track, but it is interesting the way the song seems to go up a key when the chorus comes in, that's kinda cool. I really don't need to hear that riff any more; it's not that great, so why flog it?

Jute Gyte: my 1st opportunity to review a Jute song, and I'm way more receptive to your stuff than when i first joined SF. This track is good, but I was mildly disappointed that it had no 'foam rubber' style electro spaz-outs. That said, it does do plenty and seems to explore many dark and dusty corners (musically) and it's all done with a suitable level of fidelity as well. Normally the screaming would get to me after a while, but for some reason it doesn't here. I want this to win so far.

Chuckchuckmoose: nice song

Tokyoquake: Is that short pause after every phrase inentional? i'm not even sure if i'm making it up or not, it's like a split second gap. Minimalist though this is, nothing seems out of synch, that weird explosion noise starts to grate after the 6 time. As far as the guitar and vocals go I think this is pretty good, I need to listen really close to hear all the lyrics, I mean I want to hear all the words, not that it's too quiet necessarily.

menbah?: Reminds me of something I don't particularly like and hence can't remember what it is. catchy enough, and you play and sing pretty well even if you do go a bit over the top near the end. good arrangement and production in a by numbers kind of way.

Popular Electronics: ah, my new favourite songfight band (we'll see how long that lasts ; ) ). One thing about this title that's bored me a bit is all the god references it brings up and you've fallen into the trap. I'm all for the less is more approach too, but this electric guitar/vocal isn't doing me much for me this time. In spite of that you've got some good tone there, and your voice is holding up well. I think 'covered in bugs' remains my favourite track of yours by a safe distance.

Cicuscumsize: good name : ) This is a funny track, because it is never going to grab anyone by the collar and make them go 'yeah! fucking awesome' but as I listen to it I can feel it creeping inevitably on to my good side. There are definite bits i don't like that much, like the grunting, and sometimes the bass and trumpet seem a bit too wanky, but only slightly. The drumming makes it for me I think, manages to stay interesting for a long time where nothing really seems to be happening and then single-handedly, and seemingly spontaneously manages to change the dynamic of the whole track. I think a tiny bit of piano or something could've added another dimension, and the structure and lyric needs a bit of refining. Apart from that, good stuff, like the arrangement a lot, and your drummer rocks.

Tha 'Hole: yeah, cool. Nothing to say I've not said before. you do your thing. nice wailing

Root Canal: That bit where your voice breaks...oww. who is this, you sound familiar. okay, it rocks, but not uber-rock. It won't take my vote from Jute anyway. nice sample

Paco del Stinko: ooh windy noises, atmospheric. I think this is probably the best song here this week, even before you decide to go crazy and that only adds to it. The guitar solo and screeching detract from it but it's just a taste thing.

I hope either Jute or Paco win, but I'm voting for the former
and I liked the Circuscumsize and glo ones too


If any of these reviews seemed unnecessarily harsh it could be because Moloko was playing in the background when I was listening. hmmmm

[Niveous]

Tokyoquake: Is that short pause after every phrase inentional? i'm not even sure if i'm making it up or not, it's like a split second gap. Minimalist though this is, nothing seems out of synch, that weird explosion noise starts to grate after the 6 time. As far as the guitar and vocals go I think this is pretty good, I need to listen really close to hear all the lyrics, I mean I want to hear all the words, not that it's too quiet necessarily.

Yes, the gap is intentional. I got rid of the grating explosion noise in the second version (see previous posts). The vocals are a bit louder in the second mix too. Though you still have to strain a little on the choruses but at least it's on purpose there. Thanks for listening and reviewing.

[Stubby Phillips]

Impressions while I listen...

Semolina Pilchards:
Cool song! Break at 2:10 shoulda had something spoken or noodley little keys or intermittant spastic guitar fits instead of 'anthym solo'. Then the kick-ass solo comes in and while it's well played, it's too '70s for the song, which is '80s. Vox is a little low in the mix, but don't get me wrong -- cool song. Good sound, vox, and mix, esp. bass.

Paco Del Stinko:
Wow, thanks a wanky bass patch in the beginning. Then it gets good. Cool change. Vocalist sounds like a cross between Brian Johnson and Rob Halford. Band sounds like a cross between AC/DC and early Judas Priest. Perfect fit. This was well layed out, and the sound's not bad, either.

glO:
Nice strings. Bass synth actually distracts/eventually disturbs too much. Voices are excellent in performance and presentation. As are strings. Would have been nice to keep the drum machine 'sound' out of it. Cuts out before fade at end. It sounds like you had a beautiful song that just needed one more beautiful element, and instead you threw in some 'genre tags'. Still enjoyable.

Menbah!:
Nice groove in front. WTF? Bass disappears at 2:00. Miss it. Cool song -- needs work on the vocals (a little low and off-pitch sometimes), but I like your voice. Pretty good sound, and well layed out. Good lyric, cool refrain.

circuscumsize:
After about a minute I checked a couple seconds at 1 minute intervals... did I miss anything? At the end I expected a smattering of polite clapping. I'm going to burn this just so I can throw the CD in the trash. What a waste of your talent and my time.

Beatnik Turtle:
Nice groove and mix. Like the solo in a retro way. Like the backup vocals. Second solo should just open up and RIP -- I know you can. I would have at least thrown in a little variation in the vox melody. Not bad, though.

Popular Electronics:
Good vox, guitar. Turn the bass down on that guitar. I start to lose interest after 2 minutes... waiting for something to happen.

Klownhole:
Whoa -- got bass? Appreciate that you EQ for flat playback, but my Sennheiser phones and your bass are killin' me. Brutal. You guys do the genre well, but this one needs something. I wanted a Thayil solo in there somewhere...

Root Canal:
Michael Brown ref is good. Music is tight. Telephone vox makes sense by the end, so points for that -- but I would have had the refrain normal (or better yet, garbled like underwater). Interesting, but not engaging.

2Chuck Moose:
Very nice feel. Cool bar ambience. Don't see the connection, though. OK -- protection. Pretty cool vibe and the vox and playing are top notch. I sense this has been around the block...

NBiP:
Interesting enough to listen to once. I don't consider this an entry, though.

Jute Gyte:
You're saying something... not sure what. I think it's "weird breaks and timing can make a small idea big." Pretty good playing. That programmed kick is killing me.

tokyoquake:
Timing issues. Finally. Intentional or not , they are annoying. Low vox. Interesting soundscape. That slowed-down china splash is getting on my nerves. Not bad in concept; not great in execution. Fairly cool.

Not sure who I'm gonna vote for yet. A lot of uninspired, down vox melodies in this fight. Must be some killer bud goin' around.

[glO]

GIO: is it gio or glo? I like the intro to this, is that a sample or did you write the strings yourself?

yeah it's glo, and the strings are all me. and my fiddle. thanks for the review.

[glennny]

Beatnik Turtle- This is the funniest song in the fight for me. The Latin towards the end really cracks me up. It’s a catchy ditty. The guitar playing is great, especially the 1st frantic solo.

Chuck Chuck Moose- Great guitar playing, great vocal stylings, wonderful voice. Nice melody. The lyrics are just cliché’ awfulness. However, keep in mind no one has ever accused me of writing good lyrics, but I really don’t like obvious lines like “it’s all right….â€

[Paco Del Stinko]

I thought that this was a good fight and am glad that I was included, regardless of whether I was able to stand tall among giants or not!

Beatnik Turtle - I like the no bullshit drive of the song. This could be being played by a band, poolside, in one of those teen movies or TV shows during a party scene.

Chuck Chuck Moose - A nice voice and a nice song. The ambiance is cool and I like how it turned into an accompaniment.

Circuscumsize - Some of the one-take attempts feel good, good sounds, but it wanders a bit too much. Something to revisit/edit? Stand it up straight and re-launch it into space.

glo- Nice somber mood. Rhythm track is/isn't good, but I like how it feels when it comes in. All that layering and harmonies - wow. Must be nice to have a good voice.

Jute Gyte - Complex and merciless. The mental breakdown midway somehow focuses the song. Better each time I hear it. Excellent.

Klownhole - The main riff is SICK - I could listen to that 1000 times. Parts of this could stand shoulder to shoulder with "Disturbing The Priest" and I mean that respectfully.

Menbah - Nice progression, melody, playing. Tighten the loose spots in the passionate vocals and the mix - good song.

New Bearings In Phunt. - Subtley vivid. I don't know what it's saying but I like the sound of its voice. Certainly not overdrawn.

Paco - My 3rd Songfight entry, dedicated to the gods of the Typo Thread.

Popular Electronics - That guitar sound and playing are great, but maybe back a smidge as I don't want to miss your nice voice and singing. Good feel.

Root Canal - Heckuva job, Rooty. Heckuva job! It could use a dash of wallop here and there. But good arrangement and riffs/hooks/licks coming and going.

Semolina Pilchards - Just loose enough. Thick but not too thick. How did you get Randy Bachman to guest on lead guitar? Sounds great!

Tokyoquake - Sparse and moody, more instrumentation might strip some of that away and that would not be good. I am not thrilled with the deliberate hesitation in the rhythm. Maybe if it did it say before some of those crashes or something. Interesting though.

Again, a great fight and good luck to all! Paco will vote by secret ballot before the deadline. Shave and a haircut!